Big Hitting and Blocking Afford UHSP Straight-Set Win over C-SC

ST. LOUIS, MO. – The Eutectic men's volleyball team hosted the Culver-Stockton College Wildcats (1-16, 0-9 HEART) on Tuesday for the second match of the Heart of America Athletic Conference (HEART) home-and-home series. Unlike the victory over the Wildcats on the road which lasted five sets, the Eutectics wasted no time dispatching the Wildcats this time, using strong offensive strikes and brick-wall blocks to take the C-SC team down in straight sets.

MATCH HIGHLIGHTS:

UHSP DEF. C-SC 25-17, 25-16, 25-13

• Set 1 started out close until RJ Dilks stepped up to the service line with the Eutectics. Down 8-7, the Purple and Gold won nine points in a row on Dilks' service, including kills from Cooper Hansen (2) and Grant Hoover (all assisted by Dilks), a service ace, and a block by Dickson Colado and Cameron Werner. The Wildcats could never quite recover from the 18-10 deficit, and the Eutectics won set-point on another block from Colado and Werner to take the set at 25-17.
• At 2-2 in Set 2, the Eutectics won eight of the next nine points, punctuated by kills by Werner, Maxwell McVickers, and Hoover, along with blocks from McVickers, Hoover, and Jackson Brincks, to go up 10-3. This time, the Wildcats put up a fight, winning six of the next seven points to close the gap to 11-9. But, the Eutectics were relentless in their attacking and consistent in their blocking to finish the set by winning the last four points with kills from Brincks, Aidan VanCleef, a C-SC error, and a solo block by Dilks to take the set at 25-16.
• The Wildcats kept the third set close until, with UHSP up 13-10, the Eutectics won six points in a row on Zachary Gavrick's serve to go up 19-10. The Euts rode the momentum to the end, winning six of the next nine points to win the set at 25-13 and clinch the match.
• Middle hitter Cameron Werner made good on six of seven attacks with zero errors to finish the match at .857 attacking percentage. Werner had nine block assists on the night to lead the Eutectics to a season-high 15 total team blocks in the match. Werner currently ranks fifth in the NAIA for total blocks (81), averaging 1.31 per set.
• Grant Hoover and Cooper Hansen recorded 11 and nine kills in the match, respectively, as the Eutectics averaged .359 for hitting percentage as a team. RJ Dilks racked up 33 assists. David Quinones collected seven and six digs.
• Thanks to UHSP stellar defense, the Wildcats hit in negative percentages throughout the match. Rio Victor led the C-SC team with seven kills on 20 attacks.

UP NEXT:

The Eutectics are now 8-9 overall and 5-6 in the Conference. On Saturday, the Eutectics will play host to Kansas Wesleyan University (4-9, 1-9 HEART) at 11 a.m., looking to sweep the Conference series against the Coyotes.